Read Hard Ride, Part 3 for Free Online Page A

…” She shook her head, swept up in the building pleasure.
    Suddenly he rolled them over, tucking her under his body and driving deep. “Tell me how you feel about me.”
    She gazed into his eyes, so filled with desire … and something so much deeper. “I …” His cock drove deep again and she moaned, then breathed the words he wanted to hear. “I love you.”
    He groaned and drove deep again.
    Emotion and building pleasure swept through her.
    â€œFuck, Liv.” Then he shuddered and erupted inside her.
    She moaned again as bliss embraced her, shattering her control.
    â€œOh, God, I love you so much.” She clung to him as the orgasm rocked her to her core, blasting her to pure ecstasy.
    * * *
    Liv’s eyelids fluttered open. She was snuggled against Shock’s hard chest, his big arms warm around her. Sunlight streamed in the window.
    â€œSo you love me.”
    She stiffened at his words, the blood draining from her face as memories of last night washed through her brain in rolling waves. Of her tangled in his arms. Of their bodies joining in sweet bliss.
    Of her professing her love for him.
    Oh, God, how could she have let that happen? The man was married.
    But he knew she’d been playacting. He’d asked her to. He couldn’t possibly believe it was real.
    Except that it was. Damn it, she was totally and hopelessly in love with him.
    He was a perceptive man. Maybe he’d seen the reality behind the pretense. Maybe he was worried about it. Concerned that she had fallen for him, which would make it more difficult for him to cut her loose at the end of the month.
    Her heart clenched. He was a considerate man—he’d proven that in so many ways—so now he’d be worried about hurting her.
    But she couldn’t let him know that.
    She rolled away and sat up, needing a little distance. “No, of course not.”
    His eyes narrowed. “What do you mean ‘of course not’?”
    She shrugged. “It was role-playing. You know that.” She stood up and walked to the dresser, then pulled open the drawer. She grabbed a pair of panties and pulled them on.
    He frowned. “It looked pretty real to me.”
    She slid on a bra and fastened it. “It’s what you wanted, so I did my best. But don’t worry”—she pulled on her T-shirt and jeans—“it was just an act.”
    * * *
    Shock’s gut clenched as he stared at her. He’d woken up in a wonderful mood, knowing the woman he loved actually loved him back. She’d said it not once, but several times last night, and that love had been crystal clear in her eyes.
    Now she flatly denied it.
    He stood up and pulled on some boxers and his jeans.
    â€œSo let me get this straight. You’re not in love with me.”
    â€œNo,” she said resolutely.
    He stared at her in disbelief. The word was like a stake piercing his heart, sending pain so deep into his soul he could barely breathe.
    So everything they’d shared—everything he’d seen in her eyes—had all been a lie.
    Anger blazed through him and his jaw clenched.
    â€œSince we started this thing, I thought we’d grown close.” His fists clenched. “I
thought
you’d started trusting me. Damn it, Liv, I have feelings for you. You must be able to fucking see that,” he said through gritted teeth. “And yet you feel nothing for me.”
    â€œThat’s not fair,” she flared back. “Especially since—”
    But she broke off abruptly.
    He narrowed his eyes. “Especially since what?” he demanded.
    She shook her head. “It doesn’t matter.”
    He grabbed her shoulders. “It fucking matters to me.”
    Her eyes widened. “Shock, please, don’t make this any harder than it already is.”
    Fuck. He released his grip on her, then scowled. She had no idea how hard it was for him, or how much pain it